SpaceX

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA’s Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, seen from a window on the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. Image: NASA. After weeks of debate, NASA has ruled out bringing two astronauts back to Earth aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule because of lingering concerns about multiple helium leaks and degraded thrusters, both critical to a successful re-entry, officials said Saturday. Despite successful tests of the Starliner’s maneuvering thrusters, detailed analyses and confirmation the known propulsion system helium leaks are stable and have not worsened, NASA concluded there is no way to prove the systems will continue to operate normally, ensuring a safe de-orbit, re-entry and landing. The decision means two of four “Crew 9” ...

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands in launch position at Launch Complex 39A, ready to support the Polaris Dawn commercial astronaut mission. Image: SpaceX The SpaceX and Polaris Dawn teams are working towards some of the final big tests before they are ready to launch the historic commercial mission. A little less than a week after arriving at Florida’s Space Coast, the four astronauts will step through all the activities they will experience on launch day, including suiting and and climbing aboard the Crew Dragon Resilience, which will be their home during the roughly five-day mission. Following the activity known as a dry dress rehearsal, SpaceX will clear the pad at Launch Complex 39A in order to conduct a static fire test of its Falcon 9 rocket. The T-0 for ignition is expected at 6:38 a....

On Monday, SpaceX fired the nine Merlin engines on its Falcon 9 rocket ahead of the planned launch of the Starlink 10-5 mission on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. The booster, B1085, will also launch the Crew-9 mission for NASA no earlier than Sept. 24. Image: Spaceflight Now SpaceX completed a test fire of a brand-new Falcon 9 rocket that will eventually carry the Crew 9 mission to the International Space Station. The static fire test and a “shakedown” mission were ordered for the booster after it suffered moisture intrusion on its way from SpaceX’s McGregor test facility in Texas to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If all goes according to plan, the rocket will launch no earlier than Tuesday morning on the Starlink 10-5 mission and will then start preparations for the Crew 9 mission, curr...

A Falcon 9 rocket soars above Florida on the Starlink 10-5 mission. NASA and SpaceX decided to use the first launch of booster B1085 on this Starlink flight instead of first flying it on the Crew-9 mission due to a “water intrusion” issue that happened during transport from Texas to Florida. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. A Falcon 9 rocket carried 22 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit after launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) happened at 9:20 a.m. EDT (1320 UTC), which was the end of a four-hour launch window. The Starlink 10-5 mission was the 57th launch of the internet enabling satellites so far in 2024. Heading into the launch opportunity, the...

The crew of the Polaris Dawn mission pose in front of the Alpha jets they flew in on to the Kennedy Space Center. Left to right: Mission Specialist Anna Menon, Pilot Scott “Kidd” Potent, Commander Jared Isaacman, Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now The four-member crew of what is set to be an historic spaceflight arrived in Florida on Monday. Against the backdrop of clear blue skies and summertime humidity, the quartet of astronauts descended from the camouflage clad Dassault Alpha jets owned by the mission’s commander, Jared Isaacman. The crew, which also includes former retired U.S. Air Force pilot, Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and two SpaceX Lead Space Operations Engineers, Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis, will not only fly further beyond Earth than anyone since t...